1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of integrated circuit design and, more specifically, to providing a vertical tunneling transistor.
2. Description of the Related Art
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Computer systems and other electronic devices typically include a variety of electrically interconnected integrated circuit (IC) packages which perform a variety of functions, including memory and processing functions. An important development in semiconductor technology is a circuit element known as a tunneling transistor. The tunneling transistor is a high speed circuit element in which electrons “tunnel” across a seemingly impenetrable energy barrier based on principles of quantum mechanics. Tunneling transistors may have an increasingly important role in integrated circuit design because they have the potential of allowing development of integrated circuit devices that operate at speeds that are many times faster than typical transistors.
A tunneling transistor may include a small island of conductive material, which may be referred to as a “quantum dot,” in addition to a gate, channel, source, and drain. To facilitate room temperature operation, the quantum dot may have dimensions on the order of 1–3 nanometers (nm). Tunneling transistors are typically laid out horizontally so that an axis running through the channel, quantum dot, and gate is parallel to the plane of the substrate on which the tunneling transistor is disposed. Such a horizontal arrangement may facilitate relatively easy alignment of the quantum dot with the channel of the transistor. Such a layout, however, does not lend itself to the benefits of emerging manufacturing technologies such as atomic layer deposition, which may be referred to as “ALD.” ALD may be used to create very thin layers of somewhat precise thickness. The ability to closely control layer thickness does not yield significant benefit when producing horizontal tunneling transistors.